This fall South High will be putting on a production of Inspired by Claudette and Rosa written by local playwright and South alumni Laura Mann Hill. The play’s opening night will be Thursday, December 7th, and will be shown through the 8th and the 9th in the South auditorium.
The play revolves around a group of theater students who are creating a play for Black History Month. After learning about an activist named Claudette Calvin who wasn’t recognized for her work in the civil rights movement, one of the students named Sonia wants to change the play they are performing. However, when she tells the group about her idea, tensions rise.
“It’s an ensemble show, so everybody in the story is really featured and important,” director Crystal Spring says, Inspired by Claudette and Rosa is a play inside of a play, so many of South’s theater students will play not only one but two characters.
The cast is as follows; Sonia’s Mom/Claudette’s Mom/Sojourner Truth- Beautiful Walker, Teacher Bell- Elijah Parks, Sonia- Sia Sandi, Thomas/Police Officer- Cedar Denhartog, Sam/White Girl on Bus- Clare Mallery, Bobbie/Bus Driver- Henry Grogan, Annie/Rosa Parks- Cari Belfrey, Nyla/Claudette- Ikra Abdi, Genesis- Carolina Zatarain Galicia, Imani/Harriet- Nana Bangoura, and Jean/Narrator/Podcast Host- Gryphon Rapacz.
Recently this year The Minnesota Youth Performance Company put on a production of Inspired by Claudette and Rosa‘ to positive reviews, which is what led Mann Hill back to South. “I met her here when she came to the writer’s room to talk about the play, and when I met her again, I said I wish I got to see your play, she said I would love for it to happen again… I was totally on board” says Spring in reference to how she got the idea to put on the play.
